Locking device for tool handles



June 14, 1966 DA RUBEN L. BECK 3,255,792

LOCKING DEVICE FOR TOOL HANDLES Filed March 18, 1964 llll. air/11'!!! llll llllll' 'l h IN VEN T OR OaRuben L. Beck United States Patent m 3,255,792 LOCKING DEVICE FOR TOOL HANDLES Da Ruben L. Beck, Belle Glade, Fla., assignor of onefourth to Josef E. Louis, Palm Beach, Fla. Filed Mar. 18, 1964, Ser. No. 352,839 2 Claims. (Cl. 14564) This invention relates to tools, and more particularly to hand tools, although it is not to be limited to this class of tools, as it is adaptable to nearly any other tool having a shaft, as will hereinafter be understood from the reading of this specification and its claims and examination of the appended drawing.

The complaint that most users of hand tools have about the performance of their tools is that the handles not only rotate about the axis of the shaft of the tool, but also the fact that each tool must have its own separate handle.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a locking device for tool handles that will not only firmly lock the shaft of the tool in the handle, but one that can also be adapted to hold shafts having working ends for different purposes, such as a socket wrench.

Another object of this invention is to provide a locking device for tool handles that is spring-loaded at all times.

Another object of this invention is to provide a locking device for tool handles that is foolproof in its operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a locking device for tool handles that will lock the handle in any one of a number of locations along the shaft of the tool.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a locking device for tool handles that has a minimum number of parts and is,- therefore, a tool that can be mass produced and retailed at a cost within the means of everyone who has need of tools.

Other objects and advantages will appear as I proceed with the description of that embodiment of the invention which, for the purposes of the present application, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical sectional view of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view of an alternate form of construction of this invention.

FIGURE 3 is a side view of another form of one detail assembly of this invention.

FIGURE 4 is a horizontally disposed sectional view of FIGURE 1 taken. along line 4-4 and viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view of FIGURE 3, along line 5-5 and viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring now to the drawing, and more particularly to FIGURE 1, it will be seen that the reference numeral indicates a screwdriver made according to this specification and embodying a handle 11 having a centrally located opening longitudinally therethrough, and in which is secured a liner 12 having an enlarged head 13 and ring 14 that is integral with the aforesaid liner 12 as well as being located within the aforesaid handle 11. A centrally located opening 15 extends the full length of the aforesaid liner 12 and enlarged head 13. A solid shaft 16 has a screwdriver 17 at one end'and a different screwdriver 17' at the other end, and a plurality of equally spaced recesses 18 therein for the reception of the ball 19 that is located within the recess 20 of the enlarged head 13 of this invention. A coil spring 21 is placed within the aforesaid recess 20 and under the justmentioned ball 19. A retainer 22 encompasses both the fiat end 23 and the sides 24 of the aforesaid enlarged head 13, thereby keeping the ball 19 in place.

It is now obvious, from reading the above descrip- 3,255,792 Patented June 14, 1966 tion of FIGURE 1 of the drawing when examining the figure, that this novel invention of a locking device for tool handles provides an unusual form of construction embodying a plurality of well-designed and cooperating parts and that this invention will give one a tool handle 1n which the shaft, which in this instant has a screwdriver end 17, can be automatically locked in any one of a predetermined number of positions that will not change unless a little more than ordinary pressure or pull is exerted on the aforesaid shaft 16, regardless of what type of tool may be formed or otherwise made or located on one end thereof.

Downward pressure on handle 11 will wedge ball 19 between the inclined surface of recess 18 and the Wall of recess 20 and prevent relative movement of handle 11 and shaft 16. Pulling on shaft 16 will draw ball 19 into recess 20, in the position occupied by ball 19 at the right of FIGURE 2. Shaft 16 can then be turned so that ball 19 is not opposite a recess 18. Shaft 16 can then be withdrawn or moved to a position in which ball 19 drops into another recess 18. If shaft 16 is withdrawn, it can be reversed or another shaft having different screwdrivers or at least one other tool put in its place. Shaft 16 must always be inserted from the upper end of FIG- URE 1.

Looking now at FIGURE 2 of the drawing, it will be seen that in this alternate form of construction the screwdriver ends 17 and 17 of the shaft 16 are replaced by hollow socket wrenches 25 and 25'; otherwise, all parts like those shown in the previously described FIGURE 1 bear like reference numbers.

One will also observe by continuing to look at FIG- URE 2 that in this instant the enlarged head 13 is dispensed with and balls 19 are located in recesses 26 that are located in the sleeve 27, which in turn is located in both the two-piece handles 28 instead of in an enlarged head 13 that has been dispensedwith in this alternate form of construction. In FIGURE 2 two balls are used so that one socket wrench 25 can be used at one end of the handle 28 and the other socket wrench 25' can be used at the other end of the handle 28.

FIGURES 3 and 5 illustrate still another form of this invention wherein the shaft 16 projects upward into a recess 29 in the enlarged head 13 that has its upper end integral with a shaft 30 that will be placed in the opening in the aforesaid handle 11, or in a chuck. A button 31 is located in the angularly disposed upper side 32 of the enlarged head 13 in order to push ball 19 into recess 20 when it is desired to insert shaft 16 into recess 29.

It is to be realized that the various parts of this novel invention may be made from any number of different kind-s of materials without affecting the herein described construction of its details, which themselves are subject to modification and change in shape without departing from the spirit and intent of the contents of the appended claims.

What I now claim as new is:

1. A tool comprising a handle having a bore extending throughout its entire length, a tubular liner disposed and secured in said bore, an enlargement formed at one end of said liner and having an inclined recess communicating with the interior of said liner, a spring pressed ball carried in said inclined recess for projecting into said interior, a shaft having a tool formation at each end thereof and a plurality of equally spaced V-shaped recesses intermediate the ends thereof, said shaft being removably inserted in said liner whereby said ball engages a selected V-shaped recess to permit relative axial movement between said shaft and said liner in one direction and prohibit axial movement between said shaft and said liner in the opposite direction.

3 2. A tool as defined in claim 1, wherein said inclined recess also communicates with the exterior of the enlargement, and a retainer encompassing the exterior and the end of the enlargement for retaining said spring pressed ball in said recess.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 4 2,592,978 4/1952 Trimboli 145-64 3,106,120 10/1963 Reece 27976 WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

MILTON S. MEHR, Examiner.

R. V. PARKER, 1a., Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TOOL COMPRISING A HANDLE HAVING A BORE EXTENDING THROUGHOUT ITS ENTIRE LENGTH, A TUBULAR LINER DISPOSED AND SECURED IN SAID BORE, AND ENLARGEMENT FORMED AT ONE END OF SAID LINER AND HAVING AN INCLINED RECESS COMMUNICATING WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID LINER, A SPRING PRESSED BALL CARRIED IN SAID INCLINED RECESS FOR PROJECTING INTO SAID INTERIOR, A SHAFT HAVING A TOOL FORMATION AT EACH END THEREOF AND A PLURALITY OF EQUALLY SPACED V-SHAPED RECESSES INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF, SAID SHAFT BEING REMOVABLY INSERTED IN SAID LINER WHEREBY SAID BALL ENGAGES A SELECTED V-SHAPED RECESS TO PERMIT RELATIVE AXIAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID SHAFT AND SAID LINER IN ONE DIRECTION AND PROHIBIT AXIAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID SHAFT AND SAID LINER IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. 